Annual report pursuant to section 13 and 15(d)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies

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2. Summary of significant accounting policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Note 2. Summary of significant accounting policies

Development stage enterprise

 

The Company is a development stage enterprise.  All losses accumulated since the inception of the Company have been considered as part of the Company’s development stage activities.

  

The Company’s focus is on product development and marketing of proprietary devices that are designed to improve the operational parameters of petrochemical pipeline transport systems and has not yet generated meaningful revenues.  The Company is currently transitioning from the product development cycle to the commercial manufacturing and sales cycle.  Expenses have been funded through the sale of shares of common stock for cash, issuance of convertible notes for cash and the proceeds from exercise of options and warrants.  The Company has taken actions to secure the intellectual property rights to the proprietary technologies and is the worldwide exclusive licensee for the intellectual property the Company co-developed with its intellectual property partner, Temple University of Philadelphia, PA.

 

 
 

 

Going concern

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. As reflected in the accompanying financial statements, the Company had a net loss of $13,092,387 and a negative cash flow from operations of $4,517,585 for the year ended December 31, 2012, and a stockholders’ deficiency of $2,897,520 at December 31, 2012. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Company’s ability to raise additional funds and implement its business plan. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern.

 

At December 31, 2012, the Company had cash on hand in the amount of $1,601,791. Management expects that the current funds on hand will be sufficient to continue operations through June 2013. Management is currently seeking additional funds, primarily through the issuance of debt and equity securities for cash to operate our business, including without limitation the expenses it will incur in connection with the license and research and development agreements with Temple University; costs associated with product development and commercialization of the AOT technology; costs to manufacture and ship the products; costs to design and implement an effective system of internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures; costs of maintaining our status as a public company by filing periodic reports with the SEC and costs required to protect our intellectual property. In addition, as discussed below, the Company has substantial contractual commitments, including without limitation salaries to our executive officers pursuant to employment agreements, certain severance payments to a former officer and consulting fees, during the remainder of 2013 and beyond.

 

No assurance can be given that any future financing will be available or, if available, that it will be on terms that are satisfactory to the Company. Even if the Company is able to obtain additional financing, it may contain undue restrictions on our operations, in the case of debt financing or cause substantial dilution for our stock holders, in case or equity financing.

 

 Revenue Recognition Policy

 

The Company recognizes revenue based upon meeting the following criteria. Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; Delivery has occurred or services rendered; The seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable; and Collectability is reasonably assured.

 

The Company co-develops with, and licenses from, its intellectual property as a joint-agreement with Temple University of Philadelphia, PA.  The Company’s business model is to contract with suppliers and manufacturers of oilfield equipment to sell into the oilfield pipeline market. The Company negotiates an initial contract with the customer fixing the terms of the sale and then receive a letter of credit or full payment in advance of shipment. Upon shipment, the Company will recognize the revenue associated with the sale of the products to the customer.

 

Property and equipment and depreciation

 

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based on the estimated useful lives of the assets, generally ranging from three to ten years. Expenditures for major renewals and improvements that extend the useful lives of property and equipment are capitalized. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the asset or the lease term.

 

Impairment of long-lived assets  

 

Our long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, are reviewed for impairment at least annually, or when events and circumstances indicate that depreciable or amortizable long lived assets might be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those assets. When specific assets are determined to be unrecoverable, the cost basis of the asset is reduced to reflect the current value.

  

We use various assumptions in determining the current fair value of these assets, including future expected cash flows and discount rates, as well as other fair value measures. Our impairment loss calculations require us to apply judgment in estimating future cash flows, including forecasting useful lives of the assets and selecting the discount rate that reflects the risk inherent in future cash flows.

 

 
 

 

If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments used in estimating future cash flows and asset fair values, we may be exposed to future impairment losses that could be material to our results.  Based upon management’s annual review, no impairments were recorded for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011.

 

Loss per share

 

Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per share reflects the potential dilution, using the treasury stock method that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the loss of the Company. In computing diluted loss per share, the treasury stock method assumes that outstanding options and warrants are exercised and the proceeds are used to purchase common stock at the average market price during the period. Options and warrants may have a dilutive effect under the treasury stock method only when the average market price of the common stock during the period exceeds the exercise price of the options and warrants. For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the dilutive impact of outstanding stock options of 27,278,098 and 24,067,892; outstanding warrants of 42,205,507, and 49,106,280 and notes convertible into -0- and 6,836,016 shares of our common stock respectively, have been excluded because their impact on the loss per share is anti-dilutive.

 

Income taxes

 

Income taxes are recognized for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets are recognized for the future tax consequences of transactions that have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements or tax returns. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or entire deferred tax asset will not be realized.

   

Stock-Based Compensation

 

The Company periodically issues stock options and warrants to employees and non-employees in non-capital raising transactions for services and for financing costs. The Company accounts for stock option and warrant grants issued and vesting to employees based on the authoritative guidance provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board whereas the value of the award is measured on the date of grant and recognized over the vesting period. The Company accounts for stock option and warrant grants issued and vesting to non-employees in accordance with the authoritative guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board whereas the value of the stock compensation is based upon the measurement date as determined at either a) the date at which a performance commitment is reached, or b) at the date at which the necessary performance to earn the equity instruments is complete. Non-employee stock-based compensation charges generally are amortized over the vesting period on a straight-line basis. In certain circumstances where there are no future performance requirements by the non-employee, option grants are immediately vested and the total stock-based compensation charge is recorded in the period of the measurement date.

   

The fair value of the Company's  stock options and warrants grant is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which uses certain assumptions related to risk-free interest rates, expected volatility, expected life of the stock options or warrants, and future dividends. Compensation expense is recorded based upon the value derived from the Black-Scholes option pricing model, and based on actual experience. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model could materially affect compensation expense recorded in future periods.  

 

 Accounting for Warrants and Derivatives

 

The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the consolidated statements of operations.  For stock-based derivative financial instruments, the Company uses probability weighted average series Black-Scholes Merton option pricing models to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates.

 

The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period.  Derivative instrument liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date.

 

 
 

 

Business and credit concentrations

 

The Company’s cash balances in financial institutions at times may exceed federally insured limits. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, before adjustments for outstanding checks and deposits in transit, the Company had $1,616,639 and $597,581, respectively, on deposit with two banks. The deposits are federally insured up to $250,000 on each bank.

 

Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Certain significant estimates were made in connection with preparing the Company’s financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Fair value of financial instruments

 

Effective January 1, 2008, fair value measurements are determined by the Company's adoption of authoritative guidance issued by the FASB, with the exception of the application of the statement to non-recurring, non-financial assets and liabilities as permitted. The adoption of the authoritative guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's fair value measurements.  Fair value is defined in the authoritative guidance as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A fair value hierarchy was established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value into three broad levels as follows:

 

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2—Inputs, other than the quoted prices in active markets, are observable either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3—Unobservable inputs based on the Company's assumptions.

 

The Company is required to use of observable market data if such data is available without undue cost and effort.

 

The following table presents certain investments and liabilities of the Company’s financial assets measured and recorded at fair value on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets on a recurring basis and their level within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2012 and 2011.

 

      Level 1       Level 2     Level 3     Total  
  Fair value of Derivative Liability, December 31, 2012 $     $     3,221,138     $ 3,221,138  
  Fair value of Derivative Liability, December 31, 2011 $     $     1,643,139     $ 1,643,139  

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

  

In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-11, “Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” This ASU requires an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. ASU No. 2011-11 will be applied retrospectively and is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company does not expect adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.

 

In July 2012, the FASB issued ASU No. 2012-02, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment (ASU 2012-02), allowing entities the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative impairment test. If the qualitative assessment indicates it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is required. Otherwise, no testing is required. ASU 2012-02 is effective for the Company in the period beginning January 1, 2013. The Company does not expect the adoption of this update to have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

 

Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB (including its Emerging Issues Task Force), the AICPA, and the Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC") did not or are not believed by management to have a material impact on the Company's present or future consolidated financial statements.